Ultra Mobile PC’s Essay Example for Free

Ultra Mobile PC’s Essay Standard application This study asserts that UMPC’s can use any software integrated within the device and more especially when it comes to Windows XP and Vista. For example, businessmen can use Windows word, excel and power point application effectively without any problems. On the other hand, those users who are not able to use the available QWERTY keyboard can use the avainble USB port to connect to an external keyboard. UMPCs also have a touch sensitive screen, which can allow the use to fingers to prompt for information or even use pen calibration. In this manner, the user is able to keep a fast track of events may at class, in a business meeting or in cases of medics previewing patients and making quick notes on the touch screen. With the integration of various technologies which can integrate with windows XP and Vista software like Tablet Enhancements for Outlook (TEO) UMPC’s are able to maximize the use of captured data (Eisten technologies, 2004). The use of TEO allows, users to even edit their information with ease for increased efficiency. According to Eistein technologies the integration of TEO allows the users of UMPC’s to have; †¢ Convenient and more accurate handwriting recognition, which allows minimal mistakes if any. On the other hand one is able to convert their text when they want to according to their convenience. †¢ In using TEO, applications like PDA are easily recognized and applicable in UMPC’s. †¢ The use of TEO allows preview text to prompt the user of any unrecognized texts so that they can be corrected on time. †¢ TEO allows one to improve correction interfaces without much challenges compared to earlier versions. (Eisten technologies, 2004) With the use of TEO technology, the use of UMPC’s becomes more interesting and organized in all categories. For example, TEO can be applied in note taking and ensuring organized forms of data storage and accessibility (Eisten technologies, 2004). Interfacing to the Internet UMPC’s have higher compatibility of Internet interfacing. For example, users can apply the use of the available USB’s to connect to the Internet effectively. UMPC’s are modified for use with various forms of broadband technologies, which can allow people from different to interact through the Internet. On the other hand, businessmen can make connections through the Internet and save time and energy wasted in covering long distances by their clients. In many instances what matters with Internet interface in UMPC’s is the type of Internet subscriber used, and the effectiveness in service delivery. Studies show that one important feature in UMP’s comprise of their ability to have strong bases for browsing the internet (K. -W. Chin, et al, 2002). Conclusions and future predictions The following are some of the future predictions of this study; †¢ More studies should be carried to ensure more enhancements are made to UMPC’s †¢ Companies dealing with the UMPC technologies should come together and work in harmony for better results in modifying the existing forms of UMPC’s †¢ The target markets for UMPC’s should be the main drivers of modifications made in the UMPC devices so that companies can be able to make consumer quality goods in order to gain a competitive edge †¢ UMPC’s stand to be the next solution for commercial use and hence the need to ensure that they are treated with the seriousness that they deserve in the corporate and commercial world. Conclusion This study found out that UMPCs market and usability has greatly increased over the decades. UMPCs are currently viewed as the noble solutions to most challenges faced in commercial business for instance companies and hospital use. The effectiveness in information storage makes it easier even for hospitals to be able to store patient’s information and walk around with it, referring to it when the need arises. The medical sector which was most affected in terms of mobility of medical information stands to benefit greatly from the current use of the UMPC’s technologies. This study recommends that, mobile companies to come up with more significant milestones in the UMPC’s world should carry out more studies. Reference list Appear Networks. (2008). Appear Announces Support for Intel UMPC Devices. Retrieved on 27th December 2008 from www. appearnetworks. com/Appear-Announces-Support-for-Intel. html C. Barrett et al. (2002). â€Å"Characterizing the Interaction Between Routing and MAC Protocols in Ad-hoc Networks,† Proc. MobiHoc 2002 , pp. 92-103 C. Elliott B. Heile (2000) â€Å"Self-Organizing, Self-Healing Wireless Networks,† Proc. 2000 IEEE Intl Conf. on Personal Wireless Comm. , pp. 355-362. Eisten technologies. (2004). Tablet Enhancements for Outlook 2. 0. Retrieved on 27th December 2008 from http://www. tabletpcpost. com/modules. php? op=modloadname=Downloadsfile=indexreq=viewdownloaddetailslid=9ttitle=Tablet_Enhancements_for_Outlook_2.  0 J. Broch et al. (1998) â€Å"A Performance Comparison of Multi-Hop Wireless Ad Hoc Network Routing Protocols,† Proc. Mobicom 98. D. Cavin et al. (2002) â€Å"On the accuracy of MANET simulators,† Proc. ACM Workshop on Princ. Mobile Computing (POMC02), Oct. 2002, pp. 38-43. online K. -W. Chin, et al. (2002). â€Å"Implementation Experience with MANET Routing Protocols,† ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communications Review, Nov. 2002, pp. 49-59. Available online. M. S. Corson et al. (1999) â€Å"Internet-Based Mobile Ad Hoc Networking,† IEEE Internet Computing, pp. 63-70.

The world urban slum population

The world urban slum population Introduction In recent years, the worlds urban poverty growing than before, social problems also lead to further highlight. With the deepening of urban poverty, it has become unsafe hidden in social and economic life. The urban poor people have many problems not to be effectively solved; they are unemployment, social security, distribution system, social equity and social development and so on. Since the middle 20th century, along with the accelerated process of urbanization and urban population density increased, the worlds urban population increased from 30% to now about 50%, this figure will be close to 60% to 2030. The population increased has brought a significant increase in the urban poor and slum issues become increasingly prominent. Currently, nearly 10 million people in worldwide are living in urban slums. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2006) more than 13 million deaths annually are due to preventable environmental causes. Among them, the most populous slum in Asia , this figure represents the worlds urban slum population of more than half of the total. In the globalization process led to poverty and social inequality, in 2030 urban slum population will grow to about 2 billion. Slums represent the worst city in the current poverty and inequality, its emergence and existence of many factors. Among them, the war and the regional situation of unrest led to a significant increase in refugees, migrants quickly to urban migration, urban poverty and inequality were increased, living without protect, these are all the causes of slums. So this report will discuss different solutions to poverty in urban areas. Firstly the author describes the causes and effect, and then the report will talk about problems and how to solute these problems. The author will use reading much information from books, journals and internet to collect data, What means of urban poverty? Urban poverty generally refers to individuals or families to rely on labor income and other legitimate income could not sustain their basic needs for survival in urban areas. 1. Cause and effect 1.1 causes Uneven distribution of urban poverty groups lead to the existence and rapid expansion of the important factors. With urban poor groups, unemployment, social security, distribution system, social equity are all problems in social development and these problems did not been effectively resolved and sufficient attention. With the passage of time and social gap between rich and poor growing, global cities in the number of poor people from poverty being gradually towards the long-term poverty, social poverty in the formation of a large group. 1.2 effects In modern society, the fastest growing community is slums, slums are growing center of crime and violence, in terms of climate change, urban poverty is one of the largest sources of pollution, in this global village, someone elses poverty very soon become their own problems: lack of market products, illegal immigration, pollution, AIDS, other diseases, insecurity, crime, religious fanaticism, terrorism. People can no longer ignore the plight of slum dwellers. If people ignore these problems, it may be a serious social exclusion, with the attendant threat to peace and security, this is the adverse effects. 2. Problems 2.1 Refugees and migrant populations have high rates of poverty. 2.2 Poor living conditions. Slums are usually the worst health conditions in urban areas, and even waste materials pile up land (including industrial toxic waste), groups living in slums, often suffering from various diseases caused by pollution, slum women and their children the biggest victims of these problems. The streets are dirty, some times many people have to share one toilet. The dirty condition may cause diseases and especially for children, they are easier to get ill (Practical Action, 2008). 2.3 Basic life, health and employment are not protected. One of the main urban underemployment in recent years, some countries and regions due to growing poverty and political instability and war continued, leading to a large number of refugees fleeing their homes to escape war and poverty and to change part of a influx of relatively well-developed and there is no war in the city. 2.4 Urban poverty increased and serious underemployments lead to all kinds of crime. Modern society, the work requires not only the employed have a higher level of scientific and cultural knowledge, while the extensive application of science and technology result in decreased employment. Thus, many cities people who are low education and older age were significantly reduced employment opportunities, making the city are suffering from the rapid expansion of vulnerable groups, vulnerable groups in cities grow crimes, including violent crime is more prominent. 2.5 Urban poor and disadvantaged groups live in the bottom of society, social status is low and even some of the extreme poor people have not basic social security benefits. 3. Solutions 3.1 Through legislation to clear the main responsibility of the parties to the social security. Through the legislature to develop the appropriate social security laws and regulations, they clearly defined responsibilities of the principal parties to the social security. 3.2 Establish effective social security system. Related departments need to further improve the urban minimum living security system. Workers not only should have a minimum wage, but also establish an effective system of Family Planning survey, the conditions to help the inhabitants of current income and family status of assets and other income combined, clear procedures for poor residents to apply for assistance, protect the rights of poor residents. 3.3 The establishment of urban public housing policy as soon as possible. Poor living conditions for the poor, the Government should build public housing, to help poor people improve their living conditions. Currently low-rent housing policy introduced in some cities and their integration into the social assistance system. The system should be firmly follow the fair, the principle of open, unified per capita housing area, and ensure that housing conditions were extremely difficult for low-income residents have access to limited housing support. 3.4 The establishment of poor medical assistance policy. The health care of poor people is an increasingly prominent social problems, disease caused poor people worsened the living conditions and even fall into despair. Therefore, people need to establish a poverty-oriented medical assistance system, the system helps relieve the pressure on poor peoples lives, it is also social development and progress and an important part of social equity. Of course, this system reduces the medical burden of the poor people, but not free. 3.5 Improve peoples education level, because of financial or personal problems, lots of young people have no chance to gain better education. Consequently, with the purpose of guarantee citizens security, related organizations can help some poor students to entry universities and give them more opportunities. For instance, the organizations can provide funding to students, or build a committee to collect funds from society; they can also consulate with universities to reduce the tuition fee or provide jobs to students. From these solutions, it is not only benefit for students, but also for whole education system. 3.6 Try to change the appalling living conditions; people should not dispose sewage in anywhere. People should reduce garbage and collect all rubbish to a special place, please do not thrown away or burning rubbish. People can create a good living space. 3.7 Urban poverty lead to all kinds of crime, the best ways to solute this problem, maybe community help poor people to study different kinds of vocational education and improve the quality of the poor people; they also can improve basic education policy and try to make more people to go to school; society can strengthen ethics and law education so that people understand not to do illegal things; community can establish a social security system, it maybe eliminate the poor peoples worried, and they also need to strengthen external management of the domicile population. Conclusion In conclusion, this report talk about urban poverty and it impacts our world in different aspects, there are many problems, and people need to give the suggestions to solute these problems. Overall, poverty is a serious instability factors, because this is a very difficult question, we need more concerned about this problem so that more people and community groups aware of the seriousness, to get more help, the agency can try to solve the problem within the maximum range. Reference E. Moreno (2003) Slums of the World: The face of urban poverty in the new millennium? Giusti de Perez, R. Perez, R. (2008) Analyzing Urban Poverty: GIS for the Developing World. http://gis.esri.com/esripress/shared/images/139/URBAN_ch01.pdf Masika, R., de Haan, A. Baden, S. (1997) Urbanization and urban poverty: a gender analysis. BRIDGE, Report No 54. http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk/reports/re54.pdf Perlman, J., Hopkins, E. Jonsson, A. (1998) Urban solutions at the poverty/environment intersection. http://www.megacitiesproject.org/publications_pdf_mcp01solutions.pdf Practical Action (2008) Urban Poverty. http://practicalaction.org/shelter/urbanpoverty_background S. Li (2007) Unemployment, Inequality and Poverty in Urban China Taylor Francis; 1 edition

Maori and New Zealander Access to Healthcare

Maori and New Zealander Access to Healthcare Harry C. Abellana Jr Access To Healthcare†¦The Difference between Maoris and New Zealanders Abstract This paper will discuss and open up about the reality of cultural diversity and equality. There are different factors in which equality can be quantified but this work will focus mainly on the healthcare system of New Zealand. It would show why there are still differences on how to access it even though all people living in this land should have equal rights in benefiting from it. My work would give a little background about the history of New Zealand and its people and would slowly focus to the main topic to be discussed. Introduction The Maoris or Polynesians were one of the first settlers in New Zealand. It was a vast land mass which was rich in natural resources, may it be land or aquatic. The Maori people were strong and brave people. They would put their life on the line to protect their land. They protect it with pride as it was their own child. Different international explorer and crusaders were pretty much common during that era. They would explore new land for commerce, colonize or spread their words. New Zealand was not exempted from these explorers and due to extensive circumnavigating the world, the first Europeans set foot on this land. The Europeans would introduce a different culture and practices. They brought in goods and knowledge. They not only presented new technologies but introduced different type of diseases as well. As years passed by, New Zealand became more advanced and fortunately became a first-world country. New Zealand might be one of the best places to live in but it has its own set of problems as well because of the diverse culture that makes it especially between the Maoris and European settlers. Traditional Maori Culture and Health Problems The Maori have a very strong culture involving their traditional way of healing or the Rongoa Maori. This traditional way of healing involves different aspects. They believe in traditional herbal concoctions to be used to cure diseases. They also believe in different massage strokes and strong prayers as other ways in treating ailments. These may not have the detailed scientific background or studies to prove that their methods are effective but this is their culture. This is the way that their ancestors used to overcome their health problems. Their culture should be respected and not to be criticized. The Maori group of people also believe in their cultural safety or in the local language called Kawa Whararuruhau. This would also be a problem into the access of healthcare because they are sensitive to their life experiences. If one of their family members had a negative experience in the hospital or other healthcare facility, this would leave a stigma to their community. They would be hesitant to approach the healthcare providers and healthcare facilities. That is why healthcare providers should be sensitive to the different cultures that they encounter in their day-to-day activities. Another Maori concept that would contribute to the problem of fair access to healthcare is Tino Rangatiratanga. This is basically a social concept that they can practice their traditional culture and inculcate it to the local norms. There are certain procedures or practices that healthcare facilities cannot practice because modern hospitals are now following international health standards. Some of the Maoris cannot grasp to accept this and would like to upheave that their customs should be followed because again of the Tino Rangatiratanga social concept. Healthcare providers would have their hands tied regarding this issue because health standards should be followed and this would cause a problem to the traditional Maori culture. Toanga in the Maori culture means a highly valuable possession. This may be a physical thing or immaterial in nature. This would be a potential problem because the Toanga could be a hinder in the treatment regimen. This could cause a dilemma to the healthcare provider because the culture should be respected while giving the care necessary to the patient. Now the issue about the access to healthcare will come to play because the Maori people may be hesitant to reach out to the healthcare benefits because their culture might be encroached. There is also a Maori culture that I believe is a positive side to help alleviate the discrepancy to the access of healthcare and that is Manaakitanga. It is basically showing your kindness and hospitality to other people. The healthcare industry should inculcate this into their practice because it will lead to a positive outcome. Even though the majority of their clients are sick or ill, they should show their patients that they are welcome. This will make the patient more comfortable and this would lead to tendency that people are more motived to visit the hospital or healthcare institution to seek for help. Maoris are genetically big in nature. They have a big and strong physique. Their diet usually consists of meat and vegetables but due to the introduction and increasing popularity of junk food, health problems has been an issues. There are cases of obesity, joint pains and certain heart conditions. Smoking is also a habit that is trying to be prevented as smoking can lead to various kinds of health problems. There are also dental problems with the Maori people. They fail or rarely seek the help of dentist for their dental care. Access to Healthcare Problems New Zealand has a good healthcare system. The government divided the whole country into different District Health Boards. I believe that they have done this so that the people can easily access the hospitals in case of emergency and health concerns. Most of the costs of hospitalization are highly subsidized by the government so that it would lessen the burden to the public and promote good health. I have been in New Zealand working as a healthcare assistant in different hospitals and rest homes. I have been in the front row of being a witness on how the people can access the healthcare benefits provided by the government. I would like to start off by describing the positive and negative side of Maoris and the rest of the New Zealanders from my observation. The majority of the New Zealanders that I have met are well educated and well mannered. They are hard-working group of people and most of them have stable jobs. Their jobs would help them sustain the basic things needed in life like food, clothing and shelter. These people pay taxes that are used by the government to run the country and provide benefits to the people like healthcare. They can also afford different kind of insurances which serves as an assurance that whenever they face a health problem, someone will take care of it for them. The higher earning society can also afford private hospitals and expensive general pr actitioners or doctors. They can also afford to buy the different medications that are being prescribed to them. The negative side of having all of these much more comfortable accesses to healthcare are the biases and looking down to other sectors of the society. If you have the right resources, you will get the best healthcare services and procedures to keep your body healthy. The Maori people are good people. Don’t get me wrong but there are also Maoris that have done well for themselves in this country. They are earning good and have a very comfortable life. Again, they are brave and very proud of their culture and family. These are good traits but I would like to point out to the bad traits that some are showing. They believe that they own this land and the rest are just visitors. They are very well supported by the government but they feel that it is still not enough. We can see some on the streets begging for something even though we can observe that they are very capable of doing manual labour. I believe this is what we call of being lazy and proud. There are free services like free education to get a better life but they tend not to use it and just rely on other for their needs. Some Maoris have a job but the pay is not that high. Their income is just enough to survive on a day-to-day basis. This is where the access to healthcare becomes diff erent. While other New Zealanders have an easier access not only to government-funded hospitals but also private ones, some of the Maori people can only depend on the free ones. Money can be a factor to this problem but I also believe that culture also plays a very important part of the problem. Their culture believes in the traditional way of things and this could hold them back from seeking modern day science-based healthcare system. Their attitude also plays its part. They have a tendency of being stubborn and feel that they can do whatever they want. Now when a health condition occurs and which could not be corrected or improved by the traditional way, money plays a very important role. Yes, they have free benefits from being hospitalized but the maintenance would be a problem for them. The cost of medication can be one of the problems. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can also be an issue like for example healthier foods are much more expensive. Also their ability to accept change should be given a thought. The government is doing their part to give and promote health to everyone. They are developing programs to reach out to people and try to inform them about how to be healthy. The resources are out there but it is up to the people if they want to benefit from this. If they really want to be healthy, the person itself should be responsible for his or her own actions on how to be healthy. The Barriers Involved For me, the problem in resolving the issues on the access to healthcare is basically due to the fault of the people themselves. New Zealand’s history also plays a part. Basically, the Maoris think that the Europeans invaded them and that they are trying to get the country from them. They think that the Europeans should provide them everything that they need because they own the land. On the other hand, the government is saying that all are provided and it is up to you to grab the opportunity to benefit from it. The differences in culture, attitudes and beliefs are aspects that I believe are the causes to these problems. If these elements can be resolved and straightened out, the problem can be easily resolved. Best Practices We are now living in a modern world. Most of the people are now educated and understands more about the different cultures in the society. New Zealand is giving opportunities to other citizens of the world to come into the country and try to succeed. This move will greatly benefit the country. It will open the doors to understand different culture, religions and practices. It will be a good basis on how to implement future plans for the country that would benefit all of the people. The decisions of the country and its people will be more diplomatic and sensible that everyone can enjoy and benefit from thus preventing disputes not only in the healthcare setting but the total setting of the country. Conclusion I therefore conclude that there are different factors that affect the problem about the access to healthcare between the Maori people and other people that occupies New Zealand. Some of the factors may be education, psychosocial, physiologic or socio-economic factors. There are times that these factors cannot be mended but all the efforts are being made to make a country of different cultures work. The Maoris might feel deprived from their rights because of the feeling that their land was taken away from them. It should be explained or to make clear to them that laws are being mandated so that not only their culture is protected but all of the cultures that forms New Zealand. The key thing to resolving problems is learning to understand and compromise. Recommendation I would recommend that proper information dissemination should be promoted. Educating the people will help understand the situation of the country’s intention to help its people. This would help the government to set laws and people to understand these laws and how they can benefit from it. â€Å"References Jungersen, K. (2002). Cultural safety: Kawa Whakaruruhau – An occupational therapy perspective. New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 49(1), 4-9 Ministry of Health – Manatu Hauora (2014). Rongoa Maori: Traditional Maori Healing. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/rongoa-maori-traditional-maori-healing Ministry of Health – Manatu Hauora (2014). The Health of Maori Adults and Children. Retrieved from http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/health-maori-adults-and-children Moorfield, J. (2003-2015). Te Aka Online Maori Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=phrase=proverb=loan=keywords=manaakitangasearch= Newzealand.govt.nz. Story: Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi – nga matapono o te tiriti. Retrieved from http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/principles-of-the-treaty-of-waitangi-nga-matapono-o-te-tiriti/page-1 Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Church (2015). Tino Rangatiratanga. Retrieved from http://www.justice.net.nz/justwiki/tino-rangatiratanga/† 1 | Page

The Power of Working Out Essay -- Exercise Self Image Papers

The Power of Working Out Wherever I go, whenever I go, whoever I see, I am always astonished by the way that people want to present themselves. The principle of working out reminds me of nothing else but a song titled â€Å" wherever, whenever, whoever â€Å" by Shakira. It is for the pure sense that everyone wants to look good and become popular by looking good. The media brings about popularity just by looking this so called â€Å" good. â€Å" Take for example Britney Spears, Christina Aguilara, Shakira, and other teen pop sensations. Many of these pop stars are not even old enough to drink, however they are making millions of dollars from their performances and cd’s that have sold. But it is not just the music that has created such popularity for them. It is without any doubt their appearance just as well. This ethnography will produce the answers to the many asked questions to reasons people even start working out, the multi effects of working out, and to produce the different outlooks of working out by different people. It is the purpose to produce a culture of working out from a masculine and feminine perspective. My research is based on where I work in the weight room located in the building of the JCC located in West Bloomfield, Michigan. It is a very big building perhaps the size of a large high school which is surrounded by a great amount of parking spaces. Inside the JCC there are different facilities. It has a Basketball court, a hall for doing big parties, a rink for roller hockey and the weight room that I am doing. People that are members of this JCC are able to use the weight room anytime they want as well as use the sauna, steam room, they have the luxury of having towels be provided for them a... ... I don’t try to impress the opposite sex as much as I used to. Although it is still nice to have people look at you while your working out I feel that staying fit and healthy is just as important as looking good. â€Å" With the help of my field notes, Keneth Pike’s explanations within etic and emic perspectives, and the interviews I did within these perspectives I was able to realize the true power of working out. The true reasoning that all people are different. Whether some are doing it to stay in shape or to look better, all are doing it for some soul purpose. America is all about working hard and striving to achieve. It is a place of freedom and opportunity. The weight room is an opportunity for people to look better, feel better, as well as socialize with other people. Works Cited: Pike Kenneth. â€Å" A Stereoscopic Window on The World, â€Å"

cuba :: essays research papers

Cuba Cuba is the country that I will research for this assignment. Cuba was found by humans in about 3500 BC. On October 27, 1492 Christopher sighted Cuba and then by 1514, Diego Velà ¡zquez de Cuà ©llar had conquered the island for the Spanish crown. In these particular countries cattle ranching became most popular for Cuban economy, but by 1592 the system was abolished. Cuba is the Caribbean’s commercialized islands and is one of the world's last bastions of communism. In Cuba US dollars are not accepted. People that travel to Cuba have to have their money converted over to Cuban money in order to buy anything, and the cost to change the money is 10% of how much you are exchanging. This issue causes problems for many people that visit the country. Cuba has about five main attractions with Havana being the most popular. Baracoa is another major attraction of Cuba that sits on a headland between two picturesque bays near Cuba's easternmost point of Cabo Maisà ­. Santiago de Cuba is another main attraction and is the second biggest city in Cuba. Trinidad is the last of the attractions in Cuba and is the only one that I am familiar with. Out of all of these attractions Havana is not only the most popular but is the center of the country of Cuba. The size of Cuba is 110,860 sq km and has a population of eleven million. The capital of the Republic of Cuba is Havana which has over 2 million people. Cuba has different races that live within the country. They have 60% Spanish descent, 22% mixed-race, 11% African descent, and 1% Chinese. This country also has different religions which have: 47% Catholic, 4% Protestant, and 2% Santerà ­a. The country has a communist government and the head of state is the President of the Council of State

Friendship in the West & Friendship in Islam Essay

It is natural for people to form friendships with others whom they interact with on a regular basis. Friendships can be formed through growing up in the same neighbourhood, meeting at school, college, university, social gatherings and via a number of other activities. Friendship is something common amongst people, however there are different conceptions of it. Some common conceptions include the following: friends will always stick by your side, you can always rely on a friend, you can speak freely to your friend and tell them your problems, friends like you for who you are, etc. When people have personal problems such as disputes with their family members or if they require advice they usually turn to their friends. Friendship in the West Friendship in the West is based on benefit. Friends come together on the basis of mutual interest, so they will go to the cinema, parties and clubbing together. They talk about the opposite sex freely to each other and hide each others secrets even if they involve evil actions. They often gain comfort in backbiting and winging about other people who they don’t like. Unfortunately some Muslims carry the Western notion of friendship as they follow the crowd rather than to looking to Islam for solutions. Due to the fact that friendship is based on benefit in the West, it is easy for people to ‘break out’ with each other, have rows and even become enemies. This happens when their interests conflict and can be over petty things such as not going for a night out with them or larger things such as betrayal. In many cases people even talk negatively about some of their friends in front of others and even betray them by having affairs with their wife, sisters or girlfriend. Friends even become status symbols, so people long to ‘hang out’ with a particular crowd to look cool. Often crowds have leaders with egos, so staying on the right side of certain people is important if you want to be accepted. For some this means ‘sucking up’ to them, for others it means undertaking actions to make them think you’re ‘cool’. Friendship in the West is based on using each other. The proof of this can be seen in the fact that when friends became unusable they drift apart. Typically, if someone’s friend was to suddenly change and stop clubbing, partying and drooling over the opposite sex at every opportunity they would start treating them differently and normally ‘break out’ with them. Especially if this person begins to account them when they are wrong and advise them upon their actions repeatedly. As an example if someone begins to practise Islam and stops committing Haram and advises his friends to do the same. Those with the Western concept of friendship would change their attitude towards them and they would be distanced and only occasionally spoken to. The reason for this is that it there is no more benefit in their eyes to keep a close relationship with them, in fact it completely contradicts their lust for pleasure as when the person speaks about Islam it is seen as an attack on their lifestyle. Friendship in Western societies is normally false as the society is founded on greed, individualism and following lusts. Friendship in Islam is true as it is based on sincerity, trust and Taqwa (piety). Friendship in Islam Islam recognises that a Muslim will naturally spend more time with certain people and be more comfortable with them in raising their personal problems and issues. This does not mean in any way that the rest of the Muslims are not their brothers and sisters whom they love, rather all that it means that they will be closer to certain people than others just as people are usually closer to their family than others. Islam recognises that friends have a strong influence on people and that their environment will affect the strength of their relationship with Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A person follows the Deen (way of life) of his close friend; therefore let each of you look carefully at whom he chooses for friends† [Tirmidhi] A Muslim should choose friends that will advise him and remind him of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) rather than lure him to the path of Shaytan. It has also been narrated that our friends in the Dunya (world) will be our friends in the Akhira (afterlife). It is therefore vital for a Muslim to choose good friends. The love between two Muslim friends is such that they would confide in each other, help each other in times of need and strengthen each other’s commitment to the Deen of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala). The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) encouraged for Muslims who have love for each other not to keep it to themselves. It has been narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 191) that Allah’s Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"If one of you loves his brother for Allah’s sake, then let him tell him since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love†. Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another. Spread as-Salaam amongst yourselves.† [Muslim] Friendship in Islam is not based on using each other; on the contrary, helping each other to stay away from the Haram is fundamental to it. How could someone watch his brother burn without doing anything to save him? A person who did that would be ones worst enemy rather than a friend. Therefore Muslims always warn and advise each other. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees any fault in him he should wipe it away from him.† [Tirmidhi] This means the purpose of confiding secrets to each other wouldn’t be as in the Western values where people confide their secrets to feel good knowing that they will not be a comeback. Rather in Islam we confide our secrets to our friends to seek their sincere advice and help. So a Muslim will ask his friends about issues relating to marriage, problems within his family, troubles he feels at work or fears that he has. Friendship has rules in Islam unlike in the West – to visit them especially when they are ill, to inquire about their family, feeding them when they are hungry, attending to their needs, keeping their private affairs to yourself and sharing your wealth with them without hesitation. It is related that Ibn Umar (ra) was looking about from right to left in the presence of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam), who asked the reason for doing so. Ibn Umar replied, â€Å"There is someone dear to me and I am searching for him, but do not see him†. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) then said, Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) said, â€Å"Encountering your brothers lifts all grief. If Allah blesses you with good relations with another Muslim, hold fast to it†. Rule of friendship with non-Muslims As Muslims living in the West we interact with non-Muslims on a daily basis whether at work, University, college or in society at large. It is incorrect for us to cut ourselves completely from them and live in isolation. We should aim at building relationships with them in order to give them Da’wa to embrace Islam. Therefore we should have them as acquaintances, however this does not mean that we are allowed to have them as close friends, as Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"O you who believe, take not into intimacy those outside your ranks: they will not fail to corrupt you.† [TMQ Al-Imran: 118] Not taking them as close friends means that you don’t share with them your innermost thoughts and feelings. For no matter how well you know them, they reject Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and His Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). The bond of Iman is even stronger than that of kinship. An example of this can be seen after the great battle of Badr, the Quraysh prisoners of war were bought to the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) who assigned them to the custody of individual Muslims. The Messenger (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Treat them well.† Amongst the prisoners was Abu Aziz ibn Umayr, the brother of Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra). Abu Aziz narrates what happened, â€Å"I was among a group of Ansaar†¦Whenever they had lunch or dinner they would give me bread and dates to eat in obedience to the Prophet’s instruction to them to treat us well. My brother, Mus’ab ibn Umayr, passed by me and said to the man holding me prisoner, â€Å"Tie him firmly†¦ His mother (i.e. Mus’ab’s own mother) is a woman of great wealth and maybe she would ransom him for you.† Abu Aziz ibn Umayr could not believe his ears. Astonished, he turned to Mus’ab and asked: â€Å"My brother, is this your instruction concerning me?† Mus’ab ibn Umayr (ra) replied, â€Å"He is my brother, not you!† pointing to the Ansaari Sahabi holding him, affirming that in the battle between the Haq and the Batil, the bonds of Iman are stronger than the ties of kinship. Prohibition of backbiting, slander, envy, jealousy & grudges The relationship of friendship is one of trust as a good Muslim is trustworthy and not deceitful, betraying or a backbiter. In reality this makes the love between friends in Islam stronger than friendship according to Western values as there is no constant thinking about whether your friend is speaking ill of you to other people or whether they are having a hidden relationship with your sister or wife. Islam has prohibited backbiting and slander and thus removing the cause of suspicion and doubt amongst people. Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) says: â€Å"Neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother. You abhor that (so abhor the other)! And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful.† [Al-Hujarat: 12] It is narrated by Abu Dawud on the authority of Anas (RA), the Messenger of Allah said: â€Å"On the night of Isra I passed by some people who had copper nails and they were clawing their faces and chests with them. I asked Jibriel: Who are these persons? He said: These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them.† Islam also forbids envy and jealousy which are the common causes of problems amongst friends in Western societies. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slaves of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala)! Be like brothers with each other. It is not violable for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days†. [Sahih Muslim, Tirmithi] Belittling each other is almost a pastime in the West. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"The believer can do no worse than belittle his brother†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] A Muslim should not hold grudges against another Muslim even if they are differing personalities. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) warned against this when he said, â€Å"The gates of Paradise will be open on Mondays and on Thursdays, and every servant [of Allah] who associates nothing with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who has a grudge against his brother. [About them] it will be said: Delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled; delay these two until they are reconciled†. [Muslim] Friends should feel at ease with each other without feeling inferior or superior. Ego’s must be tamed according to Islam. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"A man is on a par with the Deen of his friend and there is no good in the fellowship of one who does not regard you as highly as himself†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] Concealing faults It is important to conceal a friends faults, this does not mean that we ignore them; it means that we advise them and help them overcome their shortcomings. Uqbah ibn Amir narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who sees something which should be kept hidden and conceals it, it will be like the one who has brought to life a girl buried alive† [Hadith 2292: Abu Dawud] Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Apostle (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"He who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in the world and in the Hereafter. Allah is at the back of a servant so long as the servant is at the back of his brother.† [Hadith 1245: Muslim] Generosity & Kindness Sharing wealth with others is greatly encouraged in Islam. This encourages trust and closeness amongst people. It is sometimes difficult for Muslims to grasp this principle especially when they are affected by Western society which promotes greed and selfishness. Giving someone something without expecting anything in return is uncommon in the West even amongst friends. When the non-Muslims give each other presents such as on Birthday’s, Christmas, New Year’s or when someone leaves the work place it is done more out of tradition and knowing that they will get something in return rather than sincerity. Imam Bukhari narrated that our beloved Messenger Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"None amongst you believes (truly) till one likes for his brother, that which he loves for his himself†. Examples of this perspective towards others can be clearly seen in the companions of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam). It is transmitted by Imam Ahmad, in Al-Bidayah, volume 3, page 228 that Anas (ra) narrated, â€Å"When Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf (ra) immigrated to Medina, the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) established brotherhood between him and Sa’d ibn Al-Ansari (ra). Afterwards Sa’d said to Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf, ‘O my brother! I am a wealthy person of Medina. Look! Here is half of my wealth, take it! I have 2 wives. I will divorce one of them whom you like more so that you may marry her.’ Abdur-Rahman ibn Auf replied, ‘May Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) prosper your family and wealth, just show me the way to the market so that I may make my fortune with my own hands.† The Ansaar of Medina were extremely generous to their brothers, the Muhajireen from Makkah. Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that they once approached the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) with the request that their orchards of palm trees should be distributed equally between the Muslims of Medina and the Muslims of Makkah. But the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) was reluctant to put this heavy burden upon them. It was, however, decided that the Muhajireen would work in the orchards along with the Ansaar and the yield would be divided equally amongst them. Friends should have informality with each other so that they are not hesitant in asking for anything when in need. This can be seen from the example of the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and his dear friend Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) had stayed at his house when after arriving into Madina whilst he was waiting for the mosque to be built. The Prophet stayed in Abu Ayyub’s house for almost seven months until his mosque was completed on the open space where his camel had stopped. He then moved to the roots which were built around the mosque for himself and his family. He thus became a neighbour of his friend Abu Ayyub. Abu Ayyub continued to love the Prophet with all his heart and the Prophet also loved him dearly. There was no formality between them. The Prophet continued to regard Abu Ayyub’s house as his own. The following anecdote tells a great deal about the relationship between them. Abu Bakr (ra) once left his house in the burning heat of the midday sun and went to the mosque. Umar (ra) saw him and asked, â€Å"Abu Bakr, what has brought you out at this hour? Abu Bakr said he had left his house because he was terribly hungry and Umar said that he had left his house for the same reason. The Prophet came up to them and asked; â€Å"What has brought the two of you out at this hour?† They told him and he said, â€Å"By Him in Whose hands is my soul, only hunger has caused me to come out also. But come with me.† They went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. His wife opened the door and said, â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him.† â€Å"Where is Abu Ayyub?† asked the Prophet. Abu Ayyub, who was working in a nearby palm grove, heard the Prophet’s voice and came hurriedly. â€Å"Welcome to the Prophet and whoever is with him,† he said and went on â€Å"O Prophet of God, this is not the time that you usually come.† (Abu Ayyub used to keep some food for the Prophet every day. When the Prophet did not come for it by a certain time, Abu Ayyub would give it to his family). â€Å"You are right,† the Prophet agreed. Abu Ayyub went out and cut a cluster of dates in which there were ripe and half ripe dates. â€Å"I did not want you to eat this,† said the Prophet. â€Å"Could you not have brought only the ripe dates?† â€Å"O Rasulullah, please eat from both the ripe dates (rutb) and the half ripe (busr). I shall slaughter an animal for you also.†. â€Å"If you are going to, then do not kill one that gives milk,† cautioned the Prophet. Abu Ayyub killed a young goat, cooked half and grilled the other half. He also asked his wife to bake, because she baked better he said. When the food was ready, it was placed before the Prophet and his two companions. The Prophet took a piece of meat and placed it in a loaf and said, â€Å"Abu Ayyub, take this to Fatima. She has not tasted the like of this for days†. When they had eaten and were satisfied, the Prophet said reflectively: â€Å"Bread and meat and busr and rutb!† Tears began to flow from his eyes as he continued: â€Å"This is a bountiful blessing about which you will be asked on the Day of judgment. If such comes your way, put your hands to it and say, Bismillah (In the name of God) and when you have finished say, Al hamdu lillah alladhee huwa ashbana wa anama alayna (Praise be to God Who has given us enough and Who has bestowed his bounty on us). This is best.† [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] In putting others first, the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) demonstrated for us excellent examples. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) once entered a thicket with one of his companions and gathered two toothpicks, one of them crooked and the other straight. He gave the straight one to his companion, who said, â€Å"O Messenger of Allah, you are more entitled to the straight one than I!† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) replied, â€Å"When a friend accompanies a friend, if only for one hour of the day, he will be asked to account for his companionship, whether he fulfilled his duty to Allah therein or whether he neglected it†. [Iyah Uloom ad Deen] On another occasion the Messenger of Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) went out to a well in order to wash. Hudhayfa ibn al-Yaman took a robe and stood screening the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) whilst he washed. Then Hudhayfa (ra) sat down to wash himself and Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) took the robe and screened Hudhayfa (ra) from view. Hudhayfa objected saying, â€Å"My father be your ransom, and my mother too! O Messenger of Allah, do not do it!† Yet he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) insisted on holding the robe and said, â€Å"Each time two people are in company together, the dearer to Allah is he who is kinder to his companion [Ihya Uloom ad Deen] The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"The companions whom Allah considers best are those who are best to their companions†. [Ahmad & Tirmidhi] Giving of gifts has also been recommended by the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) and he explained that it creates love between people. It was reported by al-Bukhari in al-Adaabul-Mufrad (no. 594) that Rasool-Allah (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"Give gifts and you will love one another†. Kindness to our friends, helping them in need and consoling them in times of grief should become natural for us for everyone needs help, a shoulder to cry on and someone to share their joy. Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) said, â€Å"Pay attention to your brothers for they are your provision in this life and in the hereafter. Do you not listen to the cry of the people of the fire? â€Å"So we have no one to intercede for us nor any dear friend† [Ash-Shu’araa: 100-101] Loving someone for the sake of Allah In the West people love each other for the sake of material benefits whereas in Islam we are encouraged to love each other for the sake of Allah. This means that we would undertake actions with regards to each other that even contradict our personal interests in order aid a friend or further our relationship with them. It was reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said: â€Å"A man went to visit a brother of his in another town and Allah deputed an angel to await him on his way, so when he came to him he said, â€Å"Where are you going?† He replied, â€Å"I am going to visit a brother of mine in this town.† He said, â€Å"Have you done him some favour which you desire to be returned?† He said, â€Å"No, it is just that I love him for Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent.† He said, â€Å"Then I am a messenger sent by Allah to you (to inform you) that Allah loves you as you have loved him for Allah’s sake.† The Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) also said, â€Å"Whoever would like to taste the sweetness of Iman (belief) then let him love a person only for Allah’s sake† [Ahmad] It was reported by Abu Dawud that Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated that the Prophet (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"Indeed from the servants of Allah there are some who are not Prophets, yet they will be envied by the Prophets and the martyrs†. It was asked, â€Å"Who are they? That we may love them†. He (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) said, â€Å"They are people who have mutual love through light from Allah, not due to kinship or ancestry, their faces will be enlightened, upon pillars of light, they will not fear when the people fear, or grieve when the people grieve†. Then he (SallAllahu alaihi wasallam) recited: â€Å"No doubt! Verily, on the friends of Allah there is no fear nor shall they grieve† [TMQ 10: 62] In conclusion, it should be apparent that we can’t live in isolation and require company. Friendship provides a natural support structure the Muslim community. Therefore we should ensure that the company we keep helps us in remembering Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’aala) and strengthens our commitment to Islam. This is more important for us living in the West as the corrupt society continuously bombards us with its poisonous culture and attempts to catch us in its net.

Essay-Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Alice grew and evolved while everybody else changed Before reading Still Alice, I did not know this is what Alzheimer’s patients went through. I had no clue. I thought they were bed ridden and depressed, secluded in a dark room. But, for Alice this was life and while she grew and developed, others around her changed. Her relationships with her family and colleagues changed. Lisa Genova could not have picked a better disease. I think it was a blessing in disguise for Alice. Of course not to say that she should have gotten it.But, if she had cancer or ALS like what Morrie had in Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, Alice would have been a â€Å"hero. † On the contrary, she was repulsed and repelled by her society and her husband failed to understand her. This made her a stronger woman. She grew because she had dementia. Throughout the book, Genova reiterates that we think of success in terms of career and credentials. I am not impervious to that either. A person who is apparently really advanced in his or her career is deemed successful and the people, who work behind the scenes for example, being a mother, are not.Of course, Alice had a very successful career at Harvard. But, when she no longer wore â€Å"the imaginary blue ribbon†, she was no longer worth the respect and attention she used to get. Almost everybody’s attitude changed towards her. Alice had recalled them as people who â€Å"supported each other through slumps of negative data and grant rejection, through waves of crippling self-doubt, through illness and divorce. † Only this illness was any other but Alzheimer’s. Not only do some people have this attitude towards the disease, I realized that Alzheimer’s patients do not have many resources to begin with.As a society we have not paid attention to inventing some neat gadgets for patients that will allow them to recall important information for example, the directions to their house or the bathro om they could not find. Plus, she could not even find a support group for herself. Strangely, they had a support group for caregivers but, not for patients. So, she met Mary, Cathy and Dan. They too complained that their reputations had suffered at work. People associate the change in behavior of Alzheimer patients with substance abuse or a result of domestic problems.Eric Wellman thought like that. Dan, Alice’s research student was the only person in her academic circle, who respected her and demonstrated her big finish in career. After all, she was able to inspire him to carry on her work. The changes in her society did not stop at her career. Interestingly, as Alice’s disease evolved, her personal relationships did too. John, with whom she had spent her entire life, grew further from her. His fiddling with the wedding ring in the doctor’s office showed his weakness of faith in their marriage after Alice was diagnosed.The fact that he could not see her change when she had learned to be less stubborn about what she gets from Jerri’s was a sign that he wanted to live with and missed the old Alice. I think he had cried more times than anybody else in her family. It was hardest for him to cope with her illness. Perhaps because he was too dependent on her—the moment when he could not find his glasses, he needed Alice as Genova beautifully elaborated in the first paragraph. But, if Alice, the master of recalling things, were to lose that quality, how was he to function in that marriage? This was ironic.As John grew apart from her, I think the void was filled by Lydia—the child Alice knew the least. Where John reckoned with her mental capabilities and loved her for that, Lydia connected with her mother’s renewed emotional intelligence. That’s why I think she decided to join college after Alice had brought up the subject again. After all, she could trust her mother now. But, I was surprised when Lydia refused t o get tested for the disease. I think there are pros and cons of knowing. I would want to know. So, that I can get my act together and accomplish what I need to before I am no longer able to.It is like what Morrie said: everybody knows they are going to die but, nobody believes it. I would want to at least know that I may get Alzheimer’s and get used to the fact before it is too late. Even though Alice knew her other children more, they played a little role in her life after her diagnosis. I think since Anna was diagnosed with the mutated gene, she was more careful and empathetic towards her mother but I did not like her attitude. She was more concerned about herself than Alice. Tom sparingly showed up. I wonder why Genova kept him out of the picture most of the time. May be because he was busy studying and because he was a guy.And Alice’s progression was mainly emotional. So, knowing myself and a little bit about both genders, I think that emotions are mainly a female department. Alice’s role had metamorphosed from a scholar to a mother. And the fastest growth of motherhood was shown through communication via emotions between a mother and a daughter. For example, in the last paragraph Lydia asked her mother to relay her feelings after witnessing Lydia’s acting and Alice successfully communicated in just a few words. Alice connected beautifully with the language of emotions at a time when language, which made up her whole career, began to part with her.She frequently remembered her mother and sister. I wonder if it was Alzheimer’s or she needed comfort in remembering her family more. Similarly, the butterfly necklace became more important to her. It was a memory of her mother but, also signified a butterfly’s short but, beautiful life. I think Alice related to the story and so did I. But, it was intriguing when she had called on to God whom she had never called on to. In times of need I also feel the urge to be more sp iritual. This reminded me of Morrie, who admitted that he talked to God for the first time during the later stages of his illness.Also, Alice felt the need to visit her family’s graves. Reminds me of a time when I went to visit a cemetery with my friend. I had a hard time trying to think about mortality like Alice. She was not concentrating on death in the cemetery. She was thinking about John and their relationship. All in all, Genova did a great job of giving us a picture of what an Alzheimer’s patient may go through. She pointed out Alice’s inner thoughts and feelings and how she had matured in so many ways while keeping her personality intact. Like before, she used cognitive exercises to remember items.She was smart about the use of her blackberry and coming up with ideas to test her memory. She kept herself in an excellent physical condition. Which makes me want to get up and exercise every morning before I become senile. She also had a brilliant career and a family. Therefore, her initial decision to commit suicide came as a surprise. I think her family would not have approved of it. But overall, I think Alice grew in the process and others reacted accordingly. For instance, Lydia saw past the disease while John and Alice’s colleagues only saw what was shown to them.Therefore, I do not think Genova did justice to what other people might be feeling and thinking. Especially, I would have liked to read about John’s perspective. Ironically, even when Dr. Davis had initially said that Alice’s accounts may not be too reliable, Genova kept the story going from Alice’s point of view. This made me biased towards Alice while not having a clear idea of what John and other people may have been going through. But at least, now I have a better understanding of Alzheimer’s and its manifestations.